southern new hampshire university
FIN 640 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
For the final project, you will submit an investment analysis report for a hypothetical company, based on provided constraints and research of market and industry trends. You will need to utilize the topics covered throughout the course in order to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skill required of a corporate investment manager. Through research and calculations, you will be analyzing the company’s place in the financial market, constructing a portfolio, and compiling your findings in an executive summary to justify your investment strategies and decisions, along with evaluating the investment performances.
As a corporate investment manager, it is your responsibility to construct an investment portfolio that will generate the maximum rate of return within a given risk class. In order to be successful in this, you need to synthesize your knowledge of your company’s industry and its place in the wider financial markets and of the modern portfolio theory, along with utilizing both qualitative and quantitative skills.
This project addresses the following course outcomes:
Evaluate financial market conditions in order to assess impact on companies and their portfolios
Calculate rates of return for shareholders utilizing the dividend discount model and market multiples
Determine appropriate balance between risk and return when constructing company portfolios
Justify how securities in a portfolio reflect stakeholders’ investment objectives and meet professional standards
Analyze industry trends in relation to company valuation on an absolute and relative basis for informing investment decisions
Implement portfolio management strategies that meet the investment objectives of a corporation
Prompt
You are a new investment manager of XYZ Tech Company. The CEO has asked you to produce an investment analysis report. Using the provided information and investment parameters for the company along with your own financial database research, prepare an investment analysis report for the company. Your analysis report should include compiled data spreadsheets, a complete portfolio, and a justification of your investment strategies in an executive summary.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Company and Market Analysis: In this section, you will analyze the company and its position in the financial markets.
A. Financial Markets
i. Analyze the five-year performance of the domestic economy relative to the financial markets.
ii. Explain specific market performance data based on compiled asset valuation model inputs supported by database research of five-year sector and industry performance and current trends.
iii. Evaluate the impact of the five-year and current macroeconomic data on asset prices.
B. Company Valuation
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your final submission should be 7–11 pages in length. The Investment Analysis Report should include a spreadsheet of your compiled data, a complete portfolio, and a 2- to 3-page executive summary. The total page length includes the executive summary but does not include title, reference pages, or the spreadsheet. It should be written in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, following the most recent APA standards for formatting and referencing.
Critical Elements
Exemplary
Proficient
Needs Improvement
Not Evident
Value
Company and Market Analysis: Financial Markets: Domestic Economy
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and analysis demonstrates keen insight into the relation of economic performance to financial markets
(100%)
Analyzes the five-year performance of the domestic economy relative to the financial markets
(90%)
Analyzes the five-year performance of the domestic economy relative to the financial markets, but analysis is cursory or contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not analyze the performance of the domestic economy
(0%)
5.28
Company and Market Analysis: Financial Markets: Asset Valuation Model Inputs
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and the database research used exemplifies advanced knowledge of performance and trends
(100%)
Explains specific market performance data based on compiled asset valuation model inputs supported by database research of five-year sector and industry performance and current trends
(90%)
Explains specific market performance data based on compiled asset valuation model inputs, but explanation is cursory, is not supported by database research of five-year sector and industry performance and current trends, or contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not explain specific market performance data based on compiled asset valuation model inputs
(0%)
5.28
Company and Market Analysis: Financial Markets: Macroeconomic Data
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation demonstrates keen insight into the impact of macroeconomic data on asset pricing
(100%)
Evaluates the impact of the five-year and current macroeconomic data on asset prices
(90%)
Evaluates the impact of the five-year and current macroeconomic data on asset prices, but evaluation is cursory or contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not evaluate the impact of the macroeconomic data on asset prices
(0%)
5.28
Company and Market Analysis: Company Valuation: Financial Items an Key Ratios
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and comparisons demonstrate keen insight into the relation of the company to industry peers in terms of key financial ratios
(100%)
Analyzes the company’s financial items and key ratios in order to demonstrate a comparison to peers and industry
(90%)
Analyzes the company’s financial items and key ratios in order to demonstrate a comparison to peers and industry, but analysis is cursory, comparison is incomplete, or response contains inaccuracies
(70%)
Does not analyze the company’s financial items and key ratios in order to demonstrate a comparison to peers and industry
(0%)
5.28
